Breaking through five realms in a single day, a god among men!

After finishing the roast goose, the chubby Wang Mu returned to the academy.

Gu Lin found a nearby bookstore, spent three coins, and took the book into the quiet room.

He wasn't reading, of course; he was deep in thought.

Only in a quiet environment can you concentrate on thinking!

Gu Lin gently stroked the corner of the table, muttering to himself:

"We must secure one of the top ten seedings."

"Don't miss the opportunity to join one of the four most prestigious companies."

He desperately wanted to enter one of the four major power institutions.

The Feathered Divine Dynasty had an extremely strict hierarchy, with powerful clans and families divided into nine ranks, and the top of the pyramid controlling the resource channels.

The four holy lands are located at the top of the pyramid, directly under the imperial power, and their influence extends to all twenty-eight states of the world!

"For me, having a protective umbrella and the ability to legally execute evildoers is crucial. A single official document can take their lives; with the vast network of power spanning the globe, where can they escape?"

"The higher you climb in the pyramid, the more you'll encounter all sorts of heinous villains, and you might even be able to kill demons. The speed at which your cultivation progresses will be unimaginable!"

"Besides, heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river; how could I not wish to be a shining star? Who in the world doesn't know you? A single word from you can command the respect of the world!"

Gu Lin was in high spirits and determined.

This is the absolute goal!

The biggest challenge we face right now is securing ten places at Shiyang Academy.

If they can't even get into the preliminary selection, they don't even qualify to go to Chuwei County. Joining one of the Four Great Holy Lands is just a dream.

Gu Lin muttered to himself in a deep voice:

"In ten days, you need to break through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation."

According to the chubby boy, Li Qingwu could barely squeeze into the top ten, but it wasn't safe. If there were any hidden talents, she might not even get a seeded spot.

Since he hadn't personally engaged in combat, Gu Lin wasn't sure of the power of the Xuanming Divine Palm and Lingbo Steps. To be on the safe side, he needed to have the strength of the fourth level of the Qi Condensation Realm!

If anyone else had this idea, they would probably be ridiculed by the world. Even a genius might not be able to make such progress in three or four years of cultivation. Ten days is just a pipe dream!

But with enough villains, Gu Lin might just be able to create a miracle!

  

After pondering for a long time, Gu Lin put down the book and made a decision—

Bounty hunter.

Follow in your father's footsteps!

Go to the county government office to pick up the reward notice.

There are risks involved; I have no combat experience and might die at the hands of a wanted criminal.

If you can't even take this small risk, how can you talk about being strong?

Moreover, taking down a wanted poster is a legal way to commit murder, and there is no responsibility involved!

Without hesitation, Gu Lin headed to the Shiyang County government office.

......

One hour later.

The county government office was grand and solemn, but at this moment it was bustling with noise, with many soldiers and commoners crowding the bluestone avenue.

A corpse lay conspicuously on the platform, wrapped in a bamboo mat, dripping with blood, the pungent smell of blood mingling with the stench of decay quickly spreading.

Gu Lin was horrified after just one glance.

He knew this corpse all too well!

The wicked woman who took his virginity and humiliated him!

To avoid arousing suspicion, Gu Lin remained calm and stood still to observe.

A moment later, a dozen or so county clerks and constables came out of the yamen and surrounded a young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

The young man was refined and upright, with an extraordinary demeanor. He wore an orange robe, which was embroidered with several lotus seeds. He also had a bronze waist tag shaped like a wolf-hair brush hanging from his waist.

Not only were the county clerks extremely respectful, but even the county clerk and the registrar personally greeted them. These were the third and fourth most important officials in Shiyang County!

"Who is he?" the people wondered.

A scholar exclaimed in surprise:

"Lotus seed robe, wolf-hair badge—could he be a swordsmith from the Academy of Literature?"

A ghostwriter?!

The onlookers exchanged glances, then looked at the young man with deep respect.

At this moment, the county clerk stepped forward and said with a smile:

"Let me introduce you, folks of Shiyang. This is Cao Zhuodao, from the Zhuodaoren Department under the Chuzhou branch of the Wendao Academy of the Feathered Divine Dynasty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the onlookers all stood in awe and bowed, their hands clasped in respect. The scholar, his eyes gleaming with excitement, also bowed deeply.

It is the office of the sword-wielders under the jurisdiction of the Wendao Academy!

Wen Dao Yuan, lotus-patterned robe, gold wolf-hair brush, waist tag!

The subordinate office of the knife-wielding officials was staffed with lotus seed robes, copper wolf-hair brushes, and waist tokens!

Cao Zhuodao, with his extraordinary demeanor, remained unfazed, clearly unconcerned about the flattery. He simply waved his hand lightly.

The county clerk continued:

"Leng Mei, the third elder of the Hehuan Sect in Luling County, caused a disturbance. Cao Zhuodao discovered her whereabouts, fought her in a fierce battle, and seriously injured her. Afterwards, Leng Mei fled frantically and actually escaped to our Shiyang County."

"Fortunately, I was fulfilling my duty to protect the people and the land. Last night, I was on patrol with my constables when we discovered Leng Mei's whereabouts. We shot and killed her, ridding the people of a scourge and making a small contribution to the sacred ground of Wendao Academy."

Yan Dianshi looked smug.

Thunderous applause erupted from all around.

Gu Lin raised an eyebrow; this guy really knew how to take credit and pat himself on the back.

Yan Dianshi paused slightly, then said with great emotion:

"You must know that Leng Mei is a sixth-level expert in the Cave Profound Realm, yet she was no match for Cao Zhuodao. Just how powerful must Cao Zhuodao be?!"

While he was boasting, Cao Zhuodao remained calm, offered a few perfunctory words, and then bid farewell to the county officials.

As they watched his dashing figure disappear into the distance, the crowd erupted in praise once more, exclaiming things like, "A true man should be like this," and "His son becoming a ghostwriter means his ancestors' graves will be emitting auspicious smoke."

Entering the office of the ghostwriter is truly a prestigious position!

Gu Lin seemed to be deep in thought.

Tsk tsk, that wicked woman is at the sixth level of the Cave Profound Realm?

As far as he knew, martial arts cultivation was divided into the stages of opening the meridians, condensing qi, penetrating the mystery, knowing destiny, and the Mountain and Sea Realm...

The reward for killing someone at the sixth level of the Profound Realm is so small?

Of course, Gu Lin knew in his heart that the death of that wicked woman had basically nothing to do with him, and he hadn't done anything about it.

Watching Cao Zhuodao depart into the distance, Gu Lin composed himself.

First, the fact that the third and fourth-ranking officials of the county government personally escorted Cao Zhuodao shows the high status of the person who carried the knife!

Even the errand-running government offices are high and mighty, and the Wendao Academy, one of the four holy lands, is even more transcendent.

Secondly, Cao Zhuodao is only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, yet he was able to severely injure the wicked woman, indicating that his strength is no less than the sixth level of the Dongxuan realm!

Was Cao Zhuodao exceptionally talented?

No, he's definitely not one of the top talents, otherwise he wouldn't have failed in the Holy Land selection competition!

If you can get into the Wendao Academy, why would you go to work as a errand boy in a government office?

It seems there are countless geniuses in the world, and in Chuzhou alone, there are too many outstanding talents!

As for Cao Zhuodao's high level of cultivation at such a young age, that's easy to explain; besides talent, he also has resources.

As the saying goes, the closer a house is to the center of Shiyang County, the more expensive it is; the closer it is to the center of power, the more resources are concentrated there!

Serving the sacred site of the Chuzhou Wendao Academy naturally brings no shortage of opportunities.

Third, when Yan Dianshi introduced the place, Cao Zhuodao's calm expression changed slightly upon hearing the words "Wen Dao Yuan Holy Land".

According to Gu Lin's interpretation, this is a sense of disappointment and loss.

The setback in the selection competition will drastically alter his future development. Being unable to join the Wen Dao Academy is probably Cao Zhuodao's biggest regret. The rules cannot be broken, and no matter how hard he tries, he cannot enter the Wen Dao Academy.

Gu Lin muttered to himself:

"We must succeed in one fell swoop. Without a backup plan like a ghostwriter, we're destined to become part of the Holy Land!!"

.....

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the crowd dispersed, and Gu Lin went to the notice board.

To his disappointment, there was no reward notice on the bulletin board.

To avoid attracting the attention of the constables, he did not linger and headed straight for the Tongxing Escort Agency.

He found his father at the security escort agency and subtly inquired about the matter.

Having witnessed his son's improved demeanor that morning, Gu Changchuan's attitude softened considerably, and he gently offered his explanation:

"There's no such thing as a bounty. Shiyang County is considered to have good public security. If bandits were really rampant and unrestrained, the county magistrate and magistrate would have been dismissed long ago."

"There might be ten or so bounty posters every month, but you can only get them by having connections and bribing people. Don't be fooled by the fact that bounty hunters risk their lives; for the sake of money, countless warriors would do anything to get a bounty poster."

"My father also gained the trust of the chief bodyguard. The chief bodyguard had a close relationship with the head constable of the county yamen's criminal office. The chief bodyguard would occasionally give me bounty posters, allowing me to earn extra money."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin felt a chill run down his spine.

This road is blocked!

Even if I had no way of getting the bounty poster myself, and even if I could get one through my father, given how rare it was, I couldn't afford to wait.